Item A: Ordinance on Chambers Special Area Zone

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TSM..PROJECT J>ROPOSAL 05-03 Pedestrian Refuge Island on Chambers Street north of Broadway BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT As a part of the Chambers Revisited Mixed Use development evaluation, one of the issues that have been consistently expressed is the divisiveness of Chambers Street between the areas east and west of this heavily traveled Minor Arterial. Chambers Street connects to River Road (former Pacific Highway) and essentially forms a long distance (over 20 mile) north/south arterial between Junction City to the n011h and the Lorane HighwayfBlanton HeightsfPeaceful Valley/Gillespie Corners/ Crow/Applegate areas of Lane County south and southwest of Eugene. Chambers Street between 8th Avenue and 13th Avenue was constructed to city standards by installation of curbs and gutters in 1953. It was widened in 1988 and currently has 42 feet of paving curb to cllrb within a 60 foot right-of-way Chambers Street has a posted speed of 30 mph south of7lh Avenue and carries 16,000 ADT between ill and 11th avenues, 17,100 between 11th and 13th, and 19,300 south of 13th Avenue. Peak hour counts and observations confirm that heavy tTaffic and significant queuing, particularly southbound between 8th and 11 th create a formidable barrier to east/west pedestrian and bicycle travel. \Vith signalized crossings on Chambers at t\ 8t\ and 11th, there is a considerable area (at least three blocks in length) where crossing Chambers is difficult. A 42 foot wide expanse of pavement striped with bicycle lanes on each side, a travc1lane in each direction and a continuous two-way left turn lane confinn and contribute to this perception. Finding a simultaneous gap in traffic in both directions and no conflicts in the open median are difficult at most times and nearly impossible during peak periods. PROPOSED SOLUTION This project, as described herein and shown on the attached sketch, proposes to place a pair of raised concrete islands in the median of Chambers Street with at-grade cut-through for pedestrian and bicycle travel between 8th Place and Broadway to line up \vith the unmarked crosswalk on the north side of Broadway. Southbound traffic on Chambers would be prohibited from executing a left turn onto Broadway.